Editing Trail (section)

==== Motor ====
[[File:Off road trail.jpg|thumb|left|alt= |An off-road trail leading into a forest.]] [[File:Orv-damage.jpg|thumb|alt= Photograph of deep ruts left by a vehicle that left a posted trail |Damage that occurred when vehicles left the posted trail at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.]]
{{main|Off-roading}} {{see also|Jeep trail}}

A motorized trail is a trail intended for off-road vehicles, potentially including 4×4 cars, dirt bikes, and all-terrain vehicles (ATV), although trails may restrict the nature of vehicles that are permitted to operate upon them.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jr..Watts |first1=Clifton E. |last2=Fisher |first2=Cherie LeBlanc |title=Proceedings of the 2009 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium |url=https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/35609 |website=Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-66. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 276 p. [Online only]. |access-date=14 February 2025 |pages=214-222 |language=en |date=2010}}</ref>

Many motorized trails are maintained on federal land within the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 December 2015 |title=Motorized Recreational Use |url=https://www.doi.gov/ocl/motorized-recreational-use |access-date=27 December 2023 |website=U.S. Department of the Interior |language=en}}</ref> The [[Recreational Trails Program]] defined as part of the [[Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act]] of 1991 mandates that states must use a minimum of 30 percent of these funds for motorized trail uses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Appointment of Fiscal Yea (FY) 2008 Recreational Trail Program Funds |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510655.cfm |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=[[Federal Highway Administration]] |archive-date=18 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018150314/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/legsregs/directives/notices/n4510655.cfm }}</ref>

Some members of the US government<ref name="fed">{{Cite web |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ |title=USDA Forest Service – Caring for the land and serving people. |website=fs.fed.us |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=10 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610122834/https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and environmental organizations, including the [[Sierra Club]] and [[The Wilderness Society (United States)|The Wilderness Society]].<ref name="sierra1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/offroad.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061201153933/http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/offroad.asp|url-status=dead|title= Sierra Club Conservation Policies Off-Road Use of Motorized Vehicles|archive-date=1 December 2006|access-date=6 June 2020 |website=[[Sierra Club]]}}</ref><ref name="wilderness010">{{Cite web|url=http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/ORV/index.cfm?TopLevel=Home|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214145958/http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/ORV/index.cfm?TopLevel=Home|url-status=dead|title=Off-Road Vehicles and Public Lands: A National Problem|archive-date=14 December 2006|access-date=6 June 2020 |website=[[The Wilderness Society (United States)|The Wilderness Society]]}}</ref> have criticized off-road vehicle use on [[public land]]. They have noted several consequences of illegal ORV use such as pollution, trail damage, [[erosion]], [[land degradation]], possible [[extinction|species extinction]],<ref name="CPC">{{Cite web |url=http://centerforplantconservation.org/Collection/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=3407 |title=National Collection of Imperiled Plants – Pholisma sonorae |last=Rice |first=Kathleen C. |publisher=[[Center for Plant Conservation]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104114734/http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/cpc_viewprofile.asp?CPCNum=3407 |archive-date=4 November 2012 |access-date=8 June 2012}}</ref> and habitat destruction<ref name="lvrj">{{Cite web |url=http://www.lvrj.com/news/13702907.html |title=Officials seek to protect desert reptile |website=[[Las Vegas Review-Journal]] |access-date=13 June 2015 |archive-date=7 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207131413/http://www.lvrj.com/news/13702907.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which can leave hiking trails impassable. ORV proponents argue legal use taking place under planned access along with the multiple environmental and trail conservation efforts by ORV groups will mitigate these issues. Groups such as the BlueRibbon Coalition advocate Treadlightly, which is the responsible use of public lands used for off-road activities.
[[Image:Seymour Logging Road.JPG|thumb|right|alt=A photogrpoh of a steep logging road climbing through a forest |A [[British Columbia Ministry of Forests]] [[forest service road]] in steep terrain at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve near [[North Vancouver (district municipality)|North Vancouver]], British Columbia, Canada]]
[[Noise pollution]] is also a concern,<ref name="wilderness">{{Cite web |url=http://wilderness.org/content/addressing-ecological-effects-road-vehicles |title={{title case|addressing ecological effects of road vehicles}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081128011908/http://wilderness.org/content/addressing-ecological-effects-road-vehicles |archive-date=28 November 2008 |access-date=28 July 2014|website=wilderness.org}}</ref> and several studies conducted by [[Montana State University - Bozeman|Montana State University]], [[California State University]], the [[University of Florida]] and others have cited possible negative behavioral changes in wildlife as the result of some ORV use.<ref name="wildland">{{cite web|url=http://www.wildlandscpr.org/node/258|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225234104/http://www.wildlandscpr.org/node/258 |archive-date=25 December 2010|title=The Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle Noise on Wildlife|website=Wildlands CPR}}</ref> Several US states such as Washington have laws to reduce noise generated by off-road and non-highway vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|quote=State law requires off-road and other non-highway vehicles to use specified noise-muffling devices (RCW 46.09.120(1) (e) maximum limits and test procedures). State agencies and local governments may adopt regulations governing the operation of non-highway vehicles on property, streets, or highways within their jurisdiction, provided they are not less stringent than state law (RCW 46.09.180 regulation by local political subdivisions|url=http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0401007.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207124440/http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0401007.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2012|title=Frequently Asked Questions about Noise Pollution – for Local Government|publisher=Washington State Department of Ecology}}</ref>